Antonio
Pappano’s set of the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies was
released on EMI just three years ago (when it was made a MusicWeb
Recording of the Month), but already, after such a short time,
it is being enshrined in a new series of mostly decades-old
performances called, “EMI Masters: Great Classical Recordings”.
According to the back of the CD case, “EMI Masters celebrates
the full glory of the greatest performances from the world’s
greatest catalogue of recorded music …You will be left in no
doubt that you are in the presence of legendary musicians and
ageless interpretations.”

This triggered a heightened cynicism alert level in my mind,
and I started listening with serious trepidation. “Bah,” I thought,
“three years on and they’re already calling this ‘ageless’.
What a gimmick.” But I have to report that my skepticism was
mostly swept away. The Fourth and Fifth Symphonies in particular
are great performances. Few will call them the best ever
made, but few will be disappointed either. Antonio Pappano’s
Tchaikovsky really is excellent.

A good thing, too, because we live in great times for Tchaikovsky
lovers. Daniele Gatti’s thrilling symphony albums with the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra were recorded just a few years ago. Mariss
Jansons’ Chandos cycle of the complete symphonies is available
at bargain prices. I recently heard a radio broadcast of Vasily
Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic playing No. 6
which suggested to me that, should they ever record the cycle
for Naxos, it would immediately become a prime choice. Christoph
Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra turned in a sumptuously
recorded Sixth not too long ago, on an Ondine SACD. And EMI
itself offers a two-disc set of Herbert
von Karajan’s 1971 recordings of the last three symphonies,
plus Riccardo
Muti’s acclaimed cycle.

This is the outstanding field in which Antonio Pappano and the
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia can stand
tall. The Fourth launches with a thrilling fanfare by the horns,
and the first movement gets superb treatment with an unwavering
tempo and unabashedly romantic violin playing. The cellos at
around 6:00 have me thinking this is chamber music – an illustration
of how well Pappano handles all of Tchaikovsky’s conflicting
moods with a natural ease. The storms are violent and the calm
interludes are uncommonly sensitive. The rest of the symphony
benefits from the same qualities: a soft slow movement gently
paced, dreamlike scherzo, and “let-it-rip” finale in which the
orchestra excitedly races to the finish.

The Fifth Symphony – though unfortunately split across two CDs
– gets nearly as good a performance as it has ever received.
I say “nearly” because the opening introduction is just a little
bit too slow for me, so that the linking phrases of the motto
theme drift apart in the stillness. No complaints from there:
the main movement takes off with momentum and grand passion,
the Santa Cecilia orchestra wears its heart on its sleeve, and
the recording allows brass contributions to really be felt at
climaxes. The slow movement has beautiful sensitivity - although
my favorite horn solo is still on the Royal Philharmonic/Gatti
disc - the waltz is graceful, and the finale absolutely catches
fire! That may be surprising, as it’s very slow (12:48 to Jansons’
11:22 or Mravinsky’s
11:11), but in the full-bodied Santa Cecilia sound and dramatic
shaping of events we have yet another lesson not to take timings
too seriously.

The only comparative disappointment is No. 6, which struck me
as a bit too “normal.” It’s a pedestrian account, good but not
exceptional, and hardly gripping: the first time I listened,
I barely noticed the middle two movements. Eschenbach’s recent
SACD with the Philadelphia Orchestra was a brilliant example
of how an emotionally “cool” performance of the Pathétique
can reap big musical dividends, but Pappano’s coolness is not
as accomplished. One gets the feeling that he was trying to
emote but just cannot do it as well as Mravinsky and Gatti can.

The sound is full and well-suited to Tchaikovsky’s big, rich
orchestral sonorities. The recordings are especially impressive
for having been made live; we really get little indication that
there is an audience. Evidently in an Italian July not many
concertgoers develop a cough. On the other hand, I wish Pappano
himself had been a little less audible; unless my ears are deceiving
me, we can hear not just his breathing but sometimes his movements
about the conductor’s stand. His breathing is consistently audible
even when I forsake my headphones and use my laptop’s speakers.
On the other hand, the liner notes by Julian Haylock are consistently
intelligent and make for great reading, unlike the booklet notes
provided with most reissues these days.

So I began listening to this set a skeptic and ended up, in
the cases of Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5, a convert. In this respect
my experience is similar to Dominy Clements’ when he made this
a Recording of the Month in 2007. EMI’s swift repackaging of
these performances as “Great Classical Recordings” is primarily
a publicity stunt but it also has the benefit of being accurate.
I would rather have Pappano’s lively set, with the fully engaged
playing of the Santa Cecilia crew, than the old Muti recordings,
which are looking stodgier by the year. But if you really want
to hear the very best digital recordings of these works, or
if you are wondering how I can get away with calling Muti “stodgy”,
investigate Daniele Gatti’s Fourth, Mariss Jansons’ Fifth, and
Vasily Petrenko’s Sixth - if you can find a bootleg; otherwise
try Vladimir
Jurowski with the LPO, an album I chose as a 2009 Recording
of the Year. Even so, any Tchaikovsky lover should be very happy
indeed to have Pappano’s excellent accounts, two of which really
do live up to their lofty billing.

Review
IndexesBy
Label Select a label and
all reviews are listed in Catalogue orderBy
MasterworkLinks
from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to
the review
indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Reviews
from previous monthsJoin the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the
discs reviewed. detailsWe welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin
Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to
which you refer.